


No Way to Stop It

by TheSonsofDurin



Series: Skyfall [7]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 03:53:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14393733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSonsofDurin/pseuds/TheSonsofDurin
Summary: James regrets some of his choices.





	No Way to Stop It

James awakens to the sound of gunfire. Or, at least, he  _ thinks  _ it’s gunfire, until his eyes fall on the large book that sits in front of his face. He looks up at Howard, who ‘set’ the book on the desk. “What is this?” He croaks.

“History book.” Howard says with a smile. “Considering you’re from two centuries ago, you really should catch up with modern times. History books are the best way to start.”

“I see.” He gives the book a flat look. “Entire History of America as a Country.” He reads.

“Starts with the American Revolution in 1775. Same century you’re from, about the country you’re in now.” Howards says.

“Only a few decades later than I’m from.” Says James.

“Better than nothing. Any confusion, ask Jarvis.” Howards takes his leave.

James spends several minutes trying to wake up all the way. He’s eyeing the book with thinly veiled disgust- not because he doesn’t want to learn history, but because he’d rather have slept a few more hours first- when someone sets a mug down on the table and sits in the chair next to him. James had, of course, fallen asleep in a chair at an unused desk at the SSR facility, which is far from the first time he’d fallen asleep at a desk and not nearly  _ close  _ to the first time he’d fallen asleep in anywhere but his bed. 

Edwin Jarvis smiles at him. “Tea?” He asks, motioning to the cup on the table. He holds a cup of his own in his hands.

“Thank you.” James says gratefully.

“Of course.” Jarvis says. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to- well, time travel. And then get myself stuck with a group of people that practically runs towards danger.”

James snorts. “Yes, well. I myself run towards danger, so it seems I fit right in.” He sips his tea.

Jarvis laughs. “Honestly, I’m rather surprised you didn’t get into more trouble before now- I know you’ve mostly been in the hospital, but you know practically nothing about this time. I once saw a man who’d never once been to a city walk right out in front of a car the day he got there. And he knew what cars were!”

“Knowledge is nothing when one has no common sense, unfortunately.” James glances around the room. “And while I may have little experience with motorcars, I’ve had to deal with carriages enough. They aren’t that dissimilar, at least when one wants to cross the street.” He looks at the book. “Where did Howard get this?”

“Oh, he has a rather large library. Most of them are either scientific or… a personal sort of book, I suppose. In any case, I believe he bought that book a few years ago when he was accused of not knowing the history of his own country.” Jarvis shrugs.

“I see.” James opens the cover, apprehensive. “I think, after yesterday, he thinks me rather dull in the head. I’ll be honest when I say I didn’t understand much of what was said. But I’m no stranger to the Earth’s rotation or timekeeping. I didn’t become Commodore at such a young age by being  _ dull _ .”

Jarvis tuts. “He makes anyone around him feel insecure- not by purpose, most of the time. He’s just always thinking ten steps ahead of his actions. He forgets that not everyone is a genius like him, especially when he feels like he’s on the edge of a breakthrough. I rarely understand what he talks about, too, though I’ve learned quite a lot in the few years that Miss Carter’s been around- she doesn’t take half and answer, or an indescribable one, usually.”

James means to answer, but then he feels a familiar tightening in his chest and decides that silence is better for the moment, and hopefully he won’t have an attack. No such luck. Within seconds he’s hunched over, coughing. It’s worse than usual. His chest heaves, trying in vain to suck in air. James is drowning on nothing.

He’s drowning on blood.

He has to be.

Blood.

There’s blood in his lungs, in his throat… his chest has a hole in it.

He can feel the cold bite of a sword in his body.

And- water. There’s water, too; cold and unforgiving and salt- filled.

He’s choking on blood and water and all he can think of is all the people he’s gotten killed. This must be retribution, the water and blood and the coughing. Punishment for his sins. Pride. Perfidy. Pique. He’d gotten so many innocent people killed…

Everything goes black.


End file.
